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Safety & Security

Protect your store, your employees, and your customers with the knowledge and tools to prevent, respond to, and recover from crime.

 A convenience store is one of the most targeted business types for theft, robbery, and security violations. Late night hours, cash on hand, and high customer traffic create real risks that every store owner must be prepared for. The difference between a store that recovers quickly from an incident and one that doesn’t often comes down to preparation. HRA’s Safety & Security resource center gives you the practical tools, checklists, and training guides to build a safer store, for your team, your customers, and your community.

Store Safety & Security Manual


What Is It?

The HRA Store Safety & Security Manual is a comprehensive operational guide covering every physical and procedural aspect of convenience store security. From lighting standards and door specifications to alarm systems and employee training protocols, this manual gives you a complete framework for making your store a harder target for crime and a safer environment for everyone inside it. It is designed to be used both as a one-time setup guide and an ongoing reference for store managers and staff.

What You’ll Learn

  1. How to evaluate and improve the physical security of your store’s exterior and interior
  2. Lighting standards for parking lots, entrances, and vulnerable areas
  3. Door, lock, and window specifications that meet commercial security requirements
  4. How to select, install, and maintain an alarm system that fits your store
  5. Safe management best practices, how much cash to keep in the register and when to make drops
  6. How to design your store layout to maximize natural surveillance and minimize blind spots
  7. Employee protocols for opening, closing, and working alone during off-peak hours
  8. How to build a relationship with local law enforcement that actively deters crime

Why This Matters for Your Store

Physical security is the first layer of crime prevention. A well-lit, well-monitored store with clear sightlines, visible cameras, and minimal cash at the register is a significantly less attractive target than one without these measures. Beyond deterrence, a secure store reduces your insurance premiums, limits your liability exposure, and gives your employees the confidence to do their jobs without fear. This manual gives you a complete action plan — not just a list of suggestions.

Robbery Prevention & Response Guide


What Is It?

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — commonly known as SNAP or EBT — is one of the most important federal programs your store participates in. Millions of Americans rely on SNAP benefits to buy food, and convenience stores are a primary point of access. But accepting SNAP benefits comes with strict rules. Violating those rules — even unintentionally — can result in your store being permanently banned from the program.

What You’ll Learn

  1. The environmental and behavioral factors that make a store more or less attractive to robbers
  2. How to implement cash control measures that reduce the financial incentive for robbery
  3. How to train employees to stay calm, comply safely, and avoid escalating a situation
  4. Exactly what to do — step by step — during a robbery to protect life above all else
  5. The immediate actions to take after a robber leaves — who to call, what to preserve, what not to touch
  6. How to complete an accurate suspect description while the details are still fresh
  7. How to support employees emotionally after a traumatic incident
  8. Robbery patterns by time of day, when your store is most vulnerable and why

Why This Matters for Your Store

The most dangerous thing an employee can do during a robbery is resist. The most costly thing a store owner can do after a robbery is fail to preserve evidence. This guide gives every member of your team a clear, practiced response so that when a high-stress situation occurs, they are not making decisions from scratch. Preparation does not prevent every robbery, but it prevents robberies from becoming tragedies.

Suspect Identification Form


What Is It?

In the immediate aftermath of a robbery or security incident, accurate recall of a suspect’s appearance is critical to law enforcement’s ability to make an arrest. But stress, adrenaline, and shock cause memory to degrade rapidly — details that feel vivid in the moment become unclear within minutes. The HRA Suspect Identification Form is a structured document that guides store employees through capturing every relevant detail about a suspect — physical description, clothing, vehicle, direction of travel, and behavioral observations — immediately after an incident while the information is still accurate.

What You’ll Learn

  1. Which physical details matter most to law enforcement, and in what order to document them
  2. How to describe clothing, height, weight, and distinguishing features accurately
  3. How to document a suspect’s vehicle including color, make, model, and partial plate numbers
  4. What behavioral observations to note — mannerisms, speech patterns, apparent intoxication
  5. How to document the sequence of events during the incident clearly and chronologically
  6. How to preserve your written account so it can be used in a legal proceeding

Why This Matters for Your Store

Law enforcement depends heavily on witness accounts in the first minutes after a crime. A detailed, structured suspect description submitted immediately after a robbery dramatically increases the chance of an arrest. It also protects you legally — a documented account of what occurred provides a clear record if the incident leads to court proceedings or an insurance claim. Keep printed copies of this form at every register and in the manager’s office so it is always within reach when needed.

Vendor's Website
Store Safety & Security Quick Reference
 
  1. Recommended cash in register: No more than $25–$50 at any time
  2. Safe signage: Display signs stating employees cannot access the safe
  3. Lighting standard: All exterior areas, parking, and entrances should be fully illuminated
  4. Camera placement: Entrance, register area, parking lot, and storage areas minimum
  5. ARA Robbery Deterrence Kit equivalent: Contact your HRA representative for signage materials
  6. Local law enforcement: Build a relationship, offer free coffee and invite regular visits
Robbery Prevention & Response Quick Reference

 

  1. During a robbery: Do not resist. Comply. Observe carefully. Activate silent alarm only if safe to do so.
  2. Immediately after: Lock the doors. Call 911 before calling anyone else. Do not touch surfaces the robber may have touched.
  3. Evidence: Ask witnesses to stay. Get names and contact numbers if they cannot.
  4. Documentation: Complete your suspect description form immediately while memory is fresh
  5. Employee support: Robbery is a traumatic event, arrange counseling if needed
  6. Non-emergency police line: Save your local non-emergency number separately from 911
Suspect Identification Quick Reference

  1. When to use: Immediately after any robbery, theft, or security incident
  2. Who completes it: The employee who witnessed the incident — one form per witness
  3. Where to keep it: Printed copies at every register and in the manager’s office
  4. Do not discuss: Witnesses should complete their forms independently before comparing accounts
  5. Submit to: Local law enforcement when they arrive on scene
  6. Retain a copy: Keep a copy for your store records and any insurance claim
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